Dancing with tiers in my eyes, Weeping for the memory of a life gone by

[dancemom]

New thread, a very appropriate title I feel ...

I think we need to quit worrying about getting Covid now and concentrate on longer term focus on improving poverty, infrastructure and thus public health in Scotland.

And the SG focussing on sorting out the NHS, not constitutional issues and esoteric gender stuff.

I look at the stark difference in COVID approach between Scotland and England that exists now, and see a negligible difference in outcome (now, obviously Scotland has had much more dramatic peaks recently). I really do wonder why they continue with this fantasy that vaccine passports, or checking in at restaurants, or face coverings, make any difference to how 'safe' people are from COVID. But then I see the weaknesses in the health service that have been revealed by the pandemic, and I realise it's far easier to pretend it's because of COVID (and hence they are only 'keeping us safe' - how responsible!) than to admit it's because of years of mismanagement under the SNP's watch. (Same probably applies to England's NHS, but since health is fully devolved and I live in Scotland, it's the SNP who should be blamed up here.) Unfortunately I think that they'll continue this farce all winter until the virus cycle naturally dies down, hope that people don't look too closely at what's happening elsewhere in the UK (and to be fair, it doesn't seem like many of their core support do delve that deeply), then triumphantly declare that their measures have beaten back the virus and the usual suspects will applaud them for it.

• 2,639 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 40,239 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 7.0% of these were positive
• 29 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 50 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 908 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,275,208 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination and 3,871,406 have received their second dose

Same probably applies to England's NHS, but since health is fully devolved and I live in Scotland, it's the SNP who should be blamed up here.

The funding for Scotland's NHS decreases when England decides to decrease its own funding, because they are related by the Barnett formula.
The Scottish Government has no control over that and just has to get by with less money.

@Nondescriptname except that they have had more money ....but have chosen to spend it on other things (as has been widely reported). The health budget for England has been steadily increasing over the last decade, which means Scotland's budget (a higher % pp than England remember, due to Barnett), has also been increasing steadily, but they have chosen not to pass that all on to the NHS. This is kind of beside the point though; they still have full control over how that money is deployed, and indeed over all aspects of the running of the NHS, which is 100% devolved. Blaming Westminster in this case just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

news.stv.tv/politics/nhs-spending-increases-in-scotland-have-shrunk-report-finds?top

• 2,762 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 35,536 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 8.2% of these were positive
• 32 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 45 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 851 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,278,937 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination and 3,873,790 have received their second dose

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/15/why-britons-are-tolerating-sky-high-covid-rates-and-why-this-may-not-last

The Guardian has been the paper of DOOM throughout this.

And the entire article based on the fact that there could be reasons for the higher numbers, extra testing, that isn't mentioned. Comparing apples and broccoli.

Back from a week in England with NO MASKS and a normal life.

Back to Glasgow with compulsory masks everywhere, train strikes, bin strikes, the prospect of everything closed because of Cop26, and all the rest of the bollocks.

@runningpink

If it’s now classed as endemic then why are we still bloody stuck with these stupid restrictions and not left to make our own choices and decisions?

And that's the million dollar question, isn't it?

Maybe it's because Queen Nicola won't treat us like adults and is loving the control?

@KingsleyShacklebolt I feel your pain just back from England and gone from just getting on with life to being glared and tutted at in a service station as I didn't have a mask on and my landyard was in my pocket less than 2 hours past the welcome to Scotland sign! 🙄

The 9 months is the only time in over a decade I have wanted to move back to England as I'm so fed up with it all now!

If we carry on like this into next year then it will be job hunting outside of Scotland and broadening my work area which is daunting but the summer has definitely taken my rose tinted specs off to my love of Scotland 😢

I haven't been following the numbers at all recently, or these threads, but I did have an email from the Zoe App people saying that the only area in the UK with declining numbers was Scotland. Is that not the case?

Surely that in some way suggests that we are doing something right?

[quote Scottishskifun]@KingsleyShacklebolt I feel your pain just back from England and gone from just getting on with life to being glared and tutted at in a service station as I didn't have a mask on and my landyard was in my pocket less than 2 hours past the welcome to Scotland sign! 🙄

The 9 months is the only time in over a decade I have wanted to move back to England as I'm so fed up with it all now!

If we carry on like this into next year then it will be job hunting outside of Scotland and broadening my work area which is daunting but the summer has definitely taken my rose tinted specs off to my love of Scotland 😢[/quote]
That's a shame. You maybe would be happier in England though. Your dissatisfaction with Scotland has been very clear on these threads for many many months now. It's important to do what makes you happy.

@forfucksakenett

I haven't been following the numbers at all recently, or these threads, but I did have an email from the Zoe App people saying that the only area in the UK with declining numbers was Scotland. Is that not the case?

Surely that in some way suggests that we are doing something right?

Yes we are..... After 2-3months of the highest numbers in Europe! Numbers aren't going down because the SG controls are having any effect, more the virus is going down as lots of people have natural immunity as well now.

In areas where infections have been low throughout are now high such as Aberdeenshire and in Glasgow where infections were high they are now much lower..... There isn't a difference in control measures just from previous infection numbers!

So if it's nothing to do with the measures and it's just natural immunity then why aren't the whole of the UK on a decline?

I think they're just having the same back to school spike as us, just later.

@forfucksakenett my disappointment living in Scotland is all related to the SG not the actual place I live!
I love my house and most of the community where I live, there are a few arseholes who think it's perfectly acceptable to be anti English, rude and aggressive whilst using a independent debate to hide behind.

I don't agree with terrible decisions on health services, moving money away from the NHS, horrific drugs deaths or ignoring women's rights no.

@Scottishskifun yes I wasn't suggesting you didn't like your house. I was agreeing that if I didn't enjoy living somewhere I would probably look elsewhere also.

@forfucksakenett

So if it's nothing to do with the measures and it's just natural immunity then why aren't the whole of the UK on a decline?

I suggest looking at the UK regions infection map. Areas such a London which had very high infection levels from Dec are now lower of other parts of England. Same for Newcastle area, Manchester, Bedford all areas which had very high infections previously.

There are still many people especially under 20 available for infection especially with the delta variant.

If scottish measures made any difference then why did the numbers reach so high for so long...... 🙄

• 2,581 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 28,984 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
◦ 9.5% of these were positive
• 21 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 47 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 841 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,282,132 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 3,875,966 have received their second dose

Given that we are doing the same as we were when numbers were going up then I'm struggling as to why it's suddenly a success because numbers are going down

Plenty evidence to suggest that masks used correctly mitigate transmission in some form. I just think it's staggeringly arrogant to think that they don't make some difference when so many experts (real ones and not self taught armchair ones) say that they do?

I don't like masks so therefore they are pointless seems to be the Scotnset war cry.

@ElephantOfRisk

Given that we are doing the same as we were when numbers were going up then I'm struggling as to why it's suddenly a success because numbers are going down

Surely our numbers went up because of return of schools?

If the rest of the UK is currently in a school spike and they move into a similar decline then you're right. If not, and tbh they returned to school a long time ago, then our measures would indicate better control.

Yes, and everyone's masks are dirty, disgusting and worn incorrectly.